Liquid transfer device

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a liquid transfer device including: a connecting element which is to sealably attached onto a liquid transfer opening and which includes a set of liquid transfer ports, an outlet, and a bore that extends between the transfer ports and the outlet; and an adapter which is to be connected to liquid discharge means and which includes a head shaped such as to be inserted into the outlet and including a set of holes for engaging with said ports. Said liquid transfer device includes a swing joint placed in the connecting element between the outlet and the liquid transfer ports and includes a set of liquid passages and a recess shaped such as to receive the head of the adapter in a position in which said passages of the joint and the holes of the adapter are aligned. Said joint is rotatably movable in the connecting element, between a closed position of the device and a liquid transfer position, by means of the head of the adapter.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The invention relates in general manner to transferring liquids, in particular by gravity, by pumping, or under the effect of a pressure difference.

More particularly, in a particularly advantageous application of the invention, it relates to plugs for fastening to orifices for emptying the sumps of motor vehicles or machine tools.

By way of example, the purpose may be to empty oil out of a sump. However, it does not go beyond the ambit of the invention when any other liquid to be emptied, such as a refrigeration liquid, a cutting liquid for a machine tool, . . .

Brief Discussion of the Related Art

In order to make it easier to empty such casings, numerous solutions have been proposed for reducing the manipulations that need to be performed on the plug, and consequently for reducing the time required for emptying.

Such plugs are designed to be screwed into an orifice in the casing and they include a movable valve member for closing the plug and suitable for being moved in translation by means of an appropriate device, in particular an adaptor that is mounted at the end of a drain line. Once put into place in the plug, the adaptor causes the valve member to penetrate into the inside of the casing, or more generally of the container, thereby releasing the drain orifice so as to allow the liquid, and in particular oil, to flow.

By way of example, such a plug is described in Document FR 2 773 365.

The plug described in that document comprises a plug body having a radial skirt situated between one-third and one-half of the height of the body and designed to bear against the wall of the casing when the plug is fully screwed home.

In the assembled state, the body defines a projecting extension that is provided with an annular slot enabling the adaptor to be fastened.

Internally, the plug defines a bore in which the valve member is mounted.

A set of gaskets are provided inside the bore internal to the plug body, with the valve member bearing against the gaskets both in the open position of the plug and also in the closed position.

That type of arrangement suffers from a certain number of drawbacks.

Firstly, it has been found that the body of the plug, which constitutes the connection element of the device, projects out from the container and as a result runs the risk of being damaged.

Secondly, the device is screwed onto the container using an open-ended wrench.

Thirdly, the gasket facing towards the outside of the container is not protected, and as a result it is liable to be damaged.

Finally, it has been found that the plug is made as a single block, which does not enable it to be made out of different materials.

Reference may also be made to Document FR 2 996 217, which describes a device for transferring liquid that enables that drawback to be mitigated.

That device comprises a tubular connection element and an adaptor suitable for being reversibly connected to the connection element by providing longitudinal slots in the adaptor suitable for receiving radial teeth provided in the adaptor. Although that device presents numerous advantages, it has been found that in use, and in particular while it is being tightened, that the teeth and the slots are liable to become deformed. In addition, it is necessary to provide the adaptor with a special shape that is difficult to achieve by machining.

Furthermore, the transfer device described in Document FR 2 996 217 is made from a relatively large number of parts, thereby making assembly more complex and more difficult, and thus increasing its cost price.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the invention is thus to mitigate the above-mentioned drawbacks and to propose an improved device for transferring a liquid that is made from a small number of parts and that presents increased reliability.

The invention thus provides a device for transferring liquid, the device comprising a connection element for fastening in leaktight manner in a liquid transfer orifice and having a set of at least one transfer port for transferring liquid into the connection element, an outlet orifice for discharging liquid from the connection element, and a bore extending between the transfer ports and the outlet orifice.

The device further comprises an adaptor for connecting to liquid removal means and comprising a head shaped to be inserted in the outlet orifice and including a set of at least one hole for co-operating with said ports formed in the connection element.

The device also comprises a rotary shutter placed in the connection element between the outlet orifice and the liquid transfer ports and including a set of at least one liquid passage and a socket shaped to receive the head of the adaptor in a position in which said passages of the shutter and the holes of the adaptor are in alignment, said shutter being movable in the connection element under drive from the head of the adaptor to turn between a closed position of the device in which the shutter shuts the transfer ports, and a liquid transfer position in which said passages and said ports are in alignment.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the transfer device comprises abutments for limiting turning of the shutter in the bore of the connection element.

For example, the abutment comprises at least one transverse pin inserted through the rotary shutter and into a slot formed transversely in the adaptor.

Advantageously, the slot is provided with end enlargements.

In a particular embodiment, the rotary shutter includes at least one radial extension snap-fastening in a slot formed transversely in the adaptor.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the outlet orifice of the connection element and the socket of the shutter are polygonal, of shape complementary to the shape of the adaptor head.

According to yet another characteristic of the transfer device of the invention, the shutter is arranged on the same axis as the outlet orifice.

The passages of the rotary shutter, the ports of the connection element, and the holes of the adaptor are advantageously arranged radially.

In an embodiment, the shutter has six passages and the connection element has six liquid transfer ports.

According to yet another characteristic of the invention, the device further includes a closure plug for closing the connection element.

By way of example, the plug comprises a flat head and a tail of shape complementary to the shape of the bore in the connection element in which it is inserted, which tail is provided with portions in relief of outline matching the outlines of the liquid transfer ports.

In an embodiment, the adaptor comprises a cylindrical body from which said head extends axially, a base mounted on an open end of the cylindrical body, and a sealing gasket slidable in the body under drive from an annular control element passing through the base and having a sealing rod that is inserted in the head in order to close the holes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other objects, characteristics, and advantages of the invention appear on reading the following description given purely by way of non-limiting example, and made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a device in accordance with the invention for transferring a liquid;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are perspective views of the connection element of the FIG. 1 device, respectively in the closed position of the device and in the liquid transfer position;

FIG. 4 is a section view of the FIG. 1 device showing the closed position of the device and the liquid transfer position;

FIG. 5 is a section view of another embodiment of the device in accordance with the invention for transferring liquid;

FIG. 6 is a detail view of the connection element in accordance with the invention;

FIGS. 7 and 8 show the adaptor head being mounted in the outlet orifice of the connection element;

FIG. 9 is an exploded view of an adaptor of a device in accordance with the invention for transferring a liquid;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the FIG. 9 adaptor; and

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a plug for closing the connection element.

DETAILED DISCUSSION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Reference is made initially to FIG. 1, which shows a first embodiment of a device in accordance with the invention for transferring a liquid, the device being given overall numerical reference 1.

In the embodiment shown, the liquid transfer device is for emptying oil from the sumps of motor vehicles or of machine tools.

However, it would not go beyond the ambit of the invention if any other type of liquid were to be transferred, such as refrigeration liquid, cooling liquid, cutting liquid for a machine tool, . . . .

As can be seen, the device 1 comprises three parts: a connection element 2 that constitutes a plug that is screw-fastened to the drain orifice of a casing, an adaptor 3 that is shown in part in FIG. 1, and a rotary shutter 4 that is mounted in the connection element 2 and that can be turned under drive from the adaptor.

The connection element 2 comprises a body 5 made of metal, of plastics material, or of any other material, having an annular shoulder 6 whereby the connection element 2 bears against the wall of the casing, a middle thread 7 for screw-fastening it to the casing, and a distal end 8 having a set of radial ports 9 for transferring liquid.

Internally, the body 5 of the connection element has an axial bore 10 that passes through the connection element and in which the rotary shutter 4 is received.

In particular, the bore 10 extends the transfer ports 9 to an axial liquid outlet orifice 11 formed in the shoulder 6.

The adaptor 3 essentially comprises a body (not shown in FIG. 1) having an end tube 12 with an internal axial passage 13 and a head 14 constituting a tool for moving the rotary shutter 4. As can be seen in FIG. 1, the head 14 of the adaptor has a set of radial holes 15 for bringing into alignment with the liquid transfer ports 9.

The adaptor head 14 and the outlet orifice 11 of the connection element adopts a corresponding shape. The head 14 and the orifice 11 in this example are polygonal, and more particularly they are hexagonal. In this example, the head has six side faces.

The rotary shutter 4 is generally cylindrical in shape, having an outside diameter that corresponds substantially to the bore 10 of the body of the connection element. It includes an axial internal housing L with an internal peripheral surface that constitutes a socket suitable for receiving the head 14 of the adaptor. In this example it is thus polygonal, and more particularly hexagonal in order to receive the head 14.

The rotary shutter is thus made out of a material that is strong enough to withstand the tightening forces applied by the head 14 of the adaptor, while also providing effective sealing.

In this respect, it is possible to use rubber. It is also possible to make the gasket in the form of a central core made out of hard material, such as a metal, and covered in a layer of sealing material.

The rotary shutter 4 is provided with a set of liquid passages 16 into which the housing L leads, the number of passages likewise being six. The passages are arranged radially.

The rotary shutter has two transverse orifices 17 in alignment on a diameter of the gasket for the purpose of receiving pins such as 18. Likewise, the body 5 of the connection element is provided with two diametrically opposite end transverse slots 19 into which the pins 18 are inserted.

With reference also to FIGS. 2 and 3, on being mounted, the rotary shutter 4 becomes inserted in the body 5 of the connection element 2 on the same axis as the outlet orifice 11. It is angularly movable relative to the body 5 between a closed position of the transfer device, shown in FIG. 2, in which the passages 16 in the shutter 4 are offset relative to the liquid transfer ports 9 formed in the connection element, and a liquid transfer position in which the passages 16 are in alignment with the ports 9.

In this example, these two positions correspond to moving the gasket through 30 degrees relative to the connection element 5.

The slots 19 into which the respective pins 18 are inserted thus extend over an angular sector of 30 degrees.

Thus, the closed and liquid transfer positions of the device as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 correspond to two extreme positions for the pins 18 in the respective slots 19.

The above-described liquid transfer device is used by inserting the head 14 of the adaptor into the outlet orifice 11 of the connection element that is fastened to the wall of the casing C (FIG. 4) with a sealing gasket J being interposed between them. The head 14 is inserted until it penetrates into the housing L formed in the shutter. In particular it is inserted beyond the outlet orifice 11 until it can be moved angularly relative to the connection element.

In the closed position, the holes formed in the head of the adaptor and the passages 16 formed in the rotary shutter are in alignment, but they are offset relative to the ports 9.

Starting from the closed position of the device shown in the right-hand portion of FIG. 4, all that needs to be done is to turn the head of the adaptor through 30 degrees in order to bring the holes in the head 14 of the adaptor and the passages 16 of the rotary shutter into alignment with the liquid transfer ports 9 formed in the body of the head of the adaptor, in order to enable the inside of the casing to communicate with the passage 13 formed in the adaptor.

It should be observed that in the embodiment described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4, the shutter 4 is mounted free to turn in the connection element with pins 18 that penetrate into slots 19 and into holes 17 formed in the shutter.

In a variant, and as can be seen in FIG. 5, it is equally possible to provide radial shoulders 20 having respective end ramps 21 that snap into the slots 19 formed in the body 5 of the connection element. This embodiment is advantageous insofar as it further reduces the number of parts of the liquid transfer device to only two parts and makes the rotary shutter easier to mount in the connection element, since this is now done by snap-fastening.

With reference to FIG. 6, there follows a description of an embodiment corresponding to FIG. 1 and having pins 18 that are received in slots 19, and advantageously end enlargements 23 are provided in the slot 19 in which the pins 18 become engaged in the two extreme positions so as to constitute stable and blocked positions of the device either in its closed position or else in its liquid transfer position.

Naturally, this embodiment is equally applicable to the embodiments described with reference to FIG. 5.

Under all circumstances, and as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the transfer device is relatively simple to use since that requires the adaptor head to be inserted in the outlet orifice 11 and then into the housing L of the rotary shutter 4 (FIG. 7). Once in this position, the flat surfaces of the hexagonal head, of the outlet orifice 11, and of the housing L are in alignment.

In contrast, in the liquid transfer position, the flat surfaces of the adaptor head 14 and of the housing L in the rotary shutter are offset from the flat surfaces of the outlet orifice 11. Thus, the adaptor head comes into abutment against a radial shoulder 24 defining the inside of the outlet orifice 11 such that the adaptor cannot be extracted from the connection element so long as the device is in its liquid transfer position.

With reference to FIGS. 9 and 10, there follows a description of the structure of the adaptor of the above-described liquid transfer device. The adaptor is for connecting to liquid discharge means, e.g. a drain line leading to a container.

The adaptor 3 comprises a cylindrical body 25 having a first end 26 from which the tube 12 provided with the end head 14 extends (FIG. 1), and having an opposite end 27 that is open. It also has a base 28 provided with a liquid flow tube 29 that is mounted in leaktight manner, e.g. by screw-fastening, to the open end 27 of the body 25 and an internal sealing gasket 30 slidably mounted in the body 25 and including a sealing rod 31 suitable for being inserted in the tube 12 to shut the holes 14. A control element 32 including an annular part 33 that is axially movable around the tube 29 serves to move the sliding gasket 30. In this respect, the control element has two guide rods 34 that pass through the base and that are fastened to the annular gasket 30 by means of pins 35 with O-rings being interposed (not shown).

Thus, also with reference to FIG. 10, when the sliding sealing gasket 30, and more particularly the sealing rod 31, is inserted in the head 14 of the adaptor, the adaptor is shut and no liquid can leak through the head 14.

In contrast, when manual traction is exerted on the annular control element 33 (arrow F), the sealing rod is released from the head 14, consequently allowing liquid to be transferred through the adaptor.

This alignment is particularly advantageous for emptying liquids that are noxious or at high temperature since it prevents the transferred liquid from coming into contact with an operator's skin.

Finally, with reference to FIG. 11, the above-described device is finished off by a plug 35 for closing the connection element, the plug comprising a flat head 36 and a tail 37 of shape complementary to the shape of the bore of the connection element in which it is inserted, i.e. a hexagonal shape. The tail 37 includes a portion in relief 38 on each of its faces. The portions in relief 38 are of outline that matches the outline of the liquid transfer ports into which they become inserted. In this example they present outside faces that slope to form ramps so as to enable the plug to be inserted while guaranteeing that it is held in position by preventing any unwanted turning of the rotary shutter.

Because of the flat surface of the head 36, the plug does not project from the casing.

It should also be observed that the above-described invention presents certain advantages.

Firstly, the connection element is shaped in such a manner as to receive a hexagonal adaptor head, thereby limiting deformation of the connection element.

Secondly, the above-described device presents a small number of parts, thereby limiting its manufacturing cost and making it easier to implement.

It should also be observed that the connection element is made as a single piece, without welding, thereby limiting any risk of breakage, improving reliability, and making the device easier to manufacture, and in particular to manufacture automatically.

Thirdly, the device, and in particular the connection element, does not have any spring of the spring washer type as used in the prior art for making this type of device, which springs are specific items of relatively high cost. 

1. A device for transferring liquid, the device comprising a connection element for fastening in leaktight manner in a liquid transfer orifice and having a set of at least one transfer port for transferring liquid into the connection element, an outlet orifice for discharging liquid from the connection element, and a bore extending between the transfer ports and the outlet orifice, an adaptor for connecting to liquid removal means and comprising a head shaped to be inserted in the outlet orifice and including a set of at least one hole for co-operating with said ports formed in the connection element, wherein the device includes a rotary shutter placed in the connection element between the outlet orifice and the liquid transfer ports and including a set of at least one liquid passage and a socket shaped to receive the head of the adaptor in a position in which said passages of the shutter and the holes of the adaptor are in alignment, said shutter being movable in the connection element under drive from the head of the adaptor to turn between a closed position of the device in which the shutter shuts the transfer ports, and a liquid transfer position in which said passages and said ports are in alignment.
 2. The device according to claim 1, including abutments for limiting turning of the shutter in the bore of the connection element.
 3. The device according to claim 2, including at least one transverse pin inserted through the rotary shutter and into a slot formed transversely in the adaptor.
 4. The device according to claim 3, wherein the slot is provided with end enlargements .
 5. The device according to claim 2, wherein the rotary shutter includes at least one radial extension snap-fastening in a slot formed transversely in the adaptor.
 6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the outlet orifice of the connection element and the socket of the shutter are polygonal in shape having a shape complementary to the shape of the head of the adaptor.
 7. The device according to any claim 1, wherein the shutter is arranged on the same axis as the outlet orifice.
 8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the passages of the rotary shutter, the ports of the connection element, and the holes of the adaptor are arranged radially.
 9. The device according to claim 1, wherein the shutter has six passages and the connection element has six liquid transfer ports.
 10. The device according to claim 1, further including a closure plug for closing the connection element.
 11. The device according to claim 10, wherein the plug has a flat head and a tail of shape complementary to the shape of the bore in the connection element in which it is inserted, which tail is provided with portions in relief of outline matching the outlines of the liquid transfer ports.
 12. The device according to claim 1, wherein the adaptor comprises a cylindrical body from which said head extends axially, a base mounted on an open end of the cylindrical body, and a sealing gasket slidable in the body under drive from an annular control element passing through the base and having a sealing rod that is inserted in the head in order to close the holes. 